Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) At-A-Glance:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Evolve Partial Hospitalization Program?

At the PHP level of care, teens receive a full-day of treatment at Evolve, but continue to live at home. Partial hospitalization is an effective alternative to residential or inpatient treatment and may be appropriate for those transitioning from a residential treatment program or those who need more structure than a typical outpatient program or private psychotherapy.

There are always at last two staff members on location, and our teen-staff ratio is 3:1. During working hours on a typical weekday there may be as many as 6-8 staff present, supporting our teens in specific areas of expertise.

Our treatment centers are small, intimate, and comfortable, serving a maximum of ten adolescents at a time. Each location is equipped to offer teens a variety of data-driven, research-based, results-oriented modes of treatment. From mindfulness practices like yoga and meditation, to 12-Step support programs like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, to Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and Peer Process and Family Support Groups, our partial hospitalization programs draw from a wide range of resources to dial in exactly what works to set our teens on the road to recovery.

How often will my teen receive treatment?

The PHP level of care provides clients six hours of treatment, five days a week. On a typical day, each teen receives at least 3-4 hours of traditional treatment, not including complementary experiential therapy activities such as art, music, equine therapy, exercise, nature hikes, outdoor excursions, and off-site field trips.

How many hours per day will my teen receive treatment?

The PHP level of care provides clients six hours of treatment, five days a week.

What’s they typical length of treatment?

The length of treatment varies for each individual and depends on a variety of factors. A typical length of stay is around 30 days.

What are the goals of PHP?

Our goal across all levels of care is to give our teenagers the tools to lead a healthy lifestyle when they choose to. We work to make them whole again and provide them with the coping skills they need most. We help them reintegrate into their families, schools, and society-at-large.

Many of our teens come to us in a great deal of pain and misery. They’re overwhelmed, hopeless, and barely staying afloat. We help ease their suffering, lead them back toward hope, and teach them to rediscover the joy of living. We give them the tools they need to regulate emotions, respond positively to conflict, and manage their self-defeating behaviors so they can build a life worth living—a life they enjoy, filled with things they love.

In the words of our clinical director Dr. Lauren Kerwin, we give our teens practical tools in the following four areas:

Stress tolerance and management. We teach our teens how to handle the difficulties of life.

Emotional regulation. We teach our teens to manage or change emotions when they need to.

Interpersonal relationships. We teach our teens both the importance of, and how to, get along with people.

Self-acceptance. We teach our teens to be mindful of where they are in the moment, without judgment.

What kind of teen benefits from PHP?

The PHP program is designed for teenagers who live at home but struggle to maintain balance due to mental health, addiction, and behavioral issues. The PHP program is best for teenagers in distress who need more help than outpatient therapy, but are not at the point where they require a residential program. Teenagers whose lives have become difficult to manage—but not entirely unmanageable—because of their mental health, addiction, or behavioral issues are best suited to PHP. We have the most success with teens who’ve been acutely suicidal, habitually engaged in self-harm, or experienced some form of addiction problem or interpersonal distress. If they show the willingness to learn, we have a place for them. We do especially well with teens who’ve failed in other treatment situations, but still want to heal. We welcome any teenager willing to learn the skills it takes to change ineffective, problematic behaviors to effective, life-affirming behaviors.

What teens are not appropriate for PHP?

While each teenager is unique and it’s impossible to accurately assign a level of care without meeting and assessing a teen and their family, we can safely say that our PHP program is probably not a good option for an individual who has never received any treatment at all for mental health, addiction, or behavioral issues. Partial Hospitalization is a big step to take, and teens rarely need this level of care without passing through less intensive levels of care first.

How do you know your teen is ready for a less intensive program?

You need the help of mental health, addiction, and behavioral health professionals to determine what level of care is appropriate for your child. Our licensed doctors and clinicians make recommendations based on a comprehensive interview and assessment process. If your teen is already participating in one of our programs—Residential, Intensive Outpatient, or Outpatient—their therapists and counselors will work with you to determine what level of care is best.

Please keep in mind that movement between levels of care can happen in both directions: a teenager may step down their level of care from Residential to Partial, or Partial to Intensive Outpatient, based on progress in their current program. They may also step up their level of care, based on challenges or additional issues revealed in their current program. Any movement between levels of care is made after consultation and collaboration with families, therapists, the teens themselves, as well as any other relevant participants in the treatment process.